Blank for use in the manufacture of sliders for slide fasteners



Oct. 22, 1946. M. VOITY ET AL BLANK FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 14, 1942 IN V EN TORS ry A v.)

Max/ 1 Vol Oct. 22, 1946. v rr -r AL 1 2,409,966

BLANK FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Original Filed Jan. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 18 A4592:- Vmvy HIVD GIoR$ 1- GRIFFITHS BY Patented Oct. 22, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLANK FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SLIDERS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Original application January 14, 1942, Serial No.

426,694, now Patent No. 2,384,144, dated September 4, 1945. Divided and this application June 1, 1945, Serial No. 597,110

2 Claims. (01. 29-190) This invention relates to a blank for use in the manufacture of sliders for slide fasteners.

It has been the practice heretofore to perform some-orall of the operations incident to the manufacture'of sliders upon individual sliders or slider wing blanks. Due to the fact that the parts on which the operations are performed are very small in dimension and large in number, suchrnethods have had the disadvantage of having relativelyslow manufacturing speeds and high manufacturing costs.

It is a principal object of our invention to overcome these disadvantages-by providing a slider blank of such nature that up to the time that a slider is completelyfashioned'and ready for use, it is integrally connected to at least one other similar slider, whereby sliders are never individually manipulated in the manufacture thereof.

In this connection, a more specific object of our invention is to provide a slider blank comprising two pairs of slider wings, thewings in each pair being integrally connectedand handled-together during all fabricating operations incident to their formation, and the pairs of wings being interconnected at a stage of the slider fabrication to form a slider blank essentially consisting of a pair of integrally connected but otherwise finished sliders so that up to the time the sliders are completely fashioned they still can be handled and worked jointly.

-Other objects of this invention will, in part, be obviousand, in part, hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified inthe construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

Certain features of our invention herein shown and described, but not claimed, are more fully shown, described and claimed in ourfollowing applications: application Serial No. 426,694 (issued September 4, 1945, as U. S. Letters Patent 2,384,144) for Method and meansfor making slidersforslide fasteners, filed J anuary 14, 1942 of whiclrthe present application is a division; application Serial No. 446,062 (issued September 4, 1945, as 8. Letters Patent 2,383,999) for Method and means for making sliders for slide 50 fasteners, filed June 6, 1942, which is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 426,694; application Serial No. 446,063 (issued September 4, 1945, as U. S. Letters Patent 2,384,145) for Method and means for making sliders for slide fasteners, filed June 6, 1.942, which i tinuation-impart "of our application Serial No. 426,694; and applicationSerialNo. 490,406 for Method and means'for making sliders for-slide fasteners, filed June 11, 1943, which is a division of application Serial 'No. 426,694.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention and wherein like numbers refer to like parts throughout,

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of a strip comprisinga'series of integrally connected slider wing blanks; 4

Fig.2 isa schematic perspective view in section ofthe dies employed to form rails and attaching portions on slider wing blanks, the same being illustrated at the beginning of a forming stroke;

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a milling' device employed 'to trim fails on the slider wing blanks;

Fig. 4- is a schematic perspective view in partial section of anapparatus for shearing bail lugs and indenting lugs in slider wing blanks and for cutting off pairs of connected fully fashioned slider wings; Fig. 5 shows top and bottom perspective views of pairs of connected, fully fashioned slider wings;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a slider blank together with welding electrodes employed in the.

formation thereof; and l 4 Fig. '7 is aschematicperspective view in section of the-dies employed to separate and size connected pairs of sliders ina slider blank.

Referring now to the drawings, and more 'particularly toFigJ'I, a slider l0 constructed in accordancewith our invention comprises an upper wing 12 from which a bail; projects and a lower wing 16. Rails 18 run along the lateral edges of the slider wings. Between the diverging channels20, the material of each sli'der'wingis directed downwardly to form a substantially V-shaped vertical wall 22 which serves to define the engagement cam employed in all slidersof this type. Flat platforms 24 disposed at the base of the walls 22 serve asattaching portions which, when weldedtogether, join the upperandllower wings l2 and 16 of the slider and function as a neck.

Various details may be incorporated in theslider to enhance its appearance, reinforce its structure and provide a smooth sliding action. For example, the edges 26 of the entering channel and the edges 28 of the-diverging channels 20 may be beveled. The outer endsof the platforms 3 24 may project beyond the extreme ends of the diverging channels 2E! and may be smoothly rounded off. A web .33 may be indented from material of the bail l4, said web being disposed medially and longitudinall of the bail.

To make the sliders Ill, a long strip of sheet metal of suitable composition. is first blanked out, for example, in a reciprocatingpress, to form a strip 32 (Fig. 1) comprising a series of integrally connected slide fastener wing blanks 34. The shape of these blanks is governed ingeneral by the outline of the wings in the slider ultimately to be produced.

In the preferred form of ourinvention illustrated herein, the slider wing blanks 34 are similar in shape to the slider wings l2 and is, but are slightly broader in order to provide material for the rails l8. Each blank 34 is also provided with material 35 from which the neck and attaching portion, including the walls 22 and platform 24, can be shaped. If desired, during the blanking operation bevels 3e and 38 may be formed on the edges of the slider blank which will subsequently form the inclined edges 23 and 23 of the entering and diverging channels.

The slider wing blanks 34 are disposed longitudinally of the strip 32 in pairs 40, the blanks in each pair being integrally connected by a link 42 which, during a subsequent stage of operation, will be completely sheared away. Although for convenience of handling, the individual slider wing blanks 34 in a pair of such connected blanks may be disposed in any desired position, we preferably connect the portions 35 of the wing blanks by the links lz in order to facilitate the attaching operation hereinafter described.

In addition to the link 42 integrally connecting the Wing blanks 34 in a pair 40, there is also provided a link M for integrally connecting successive pairs of wing blanks so as to form the elongated strip 32. It should'be noted that both the links 42 and M are fully severedfrom the strip 32 during subsequent operations'inthe formation of the separate slider wings and sliders, and that therefore thes links may be caused to assume any desired shape, or maybe omitted altogethen'and in which latter case the slider wing blanks 34 will be directly integrally connected to each other.

, After the strip 32 of wing blanks 3A has been made, the rails I8 are formed in a drawing operation, such as. illustrated in Fig. 1. This operation, as well as all subsequent operations, is preferably simultaneously performed on each wing blank of apair-4ll of such blanks. height of the rails I8 thus formed may be made greater than desired in the finished slider ll), no attempt being exerted to control the shape of the upper rail surface. Due to drawing this upper railrsurface is considerably roughened along the outer edge thereof, as shown-at 46. At the same time the rails are drawn, elongated The;

diamond shaped projections 48 are fashioned from the material of the wing blanks and from the links A2. Each end of an elongated diamond 38' is disposed in a different embryonic wing blank 34, andsaid ends form the V-shaped walls 22 and platforms 24.

Any suitable mechanism, as for example, the

apparatus 53, may beused to carryout the drawingoperation. Said apparatus comprises a lower stationary die block 52 mounted upon a bed plate 54. The 'central-portionof said die block iscut awayto provide'a pair of opposedrectangular recesses 56 Whose corners near the center of the die block are cut away as at 58 to conform exactly to the shape of the edges 38 on the strip 32. Pilot posts @553 carried by a reciprocating head (not shown) cooperate with the said recesses 55 to insure proper registration of the pair of wing blanks being worked in the apparatus 50.

Slidably mounted in the die block 52 intermediate the recesses 53 is a pad 62 centrally apertured at fi l. The die block 52 is recessed from the'top face to the bottom face thereof, to receive said sliding pad 32. This pad conforms in shape to the plan profile of a pair of slider wings l2 and it having a link d2 connecting the same betweentheir diverging channel portions. The shape of the central aperture 63 in the pad conforms to the plan profile of the diamond shaped projection 48. Y

' Slidably and snugly received in said aperture M is'a 'post at, whose upper surface E8 is of the same shape as the outer surface of the diamond shaped projection is. Said post is fixedlyv mounted in the bed plate 5% by suitable means (not shown) and is, therefore, stationary with respect to the die block 52, but movable relative to the pad 62. A resilient block (not shownlis provided to bias the pad 32 upwardly.

Cut-outs '53 may be provided on opposite sides of the block 52 to freely receive the portions of the strip 32 not being worked upon when said strip is depressed during drawing of the rails IS. A punch '52, carried on the same movable reciprocating head as the pilot posts -39, is formed with a cross-section similar to the pad 62, but is slightly narrower to accommodate the rails between'said punch and the walls of the aperture in which the pad 32 slides. An aperture 14 is vertically disposed in the center of the punch 12 to receive the elongated diamond shaped projection ifi'when said punch moves downover the post fiiih The aperture 7% is larger than the post 35, in order to accommodate the walls of the projection 48.-

Suitable feeding means (not shown) is provided to intermittently advanc the strip 32 between strokes of the punch l2. nisms common to the art are not accurate in their movement, we may bevel off the lower edges 16 of the pilot posts es in order to exactly position the strip 32 prior to the rail drawing operation. When thestrip is advanced, it preferably lies on the upper surface'of the die block '32 and may be guided in such position by a combined guide and stripper plate (not shown).

Next, the rough edges as aretrimmed off to reduce the rails ill to their ultimate predetermined height. This operation may be performed inia machine 18 comprising a pair-of spaced parallel milling cutters 83, 82 which are rotated at a high speed to cleanly remove the extra railmaterial and leave no jagged edges which require further finishing.

In the next operation, each alternatewing blank is provided, by a shearing operation (Fig. 4), with a lug lid whose central portion 86 isfree of theslider wing blank from which it projects. The ends 88 of the lug are integrally connected with the said wing blank. Portions ofthe-central parts 83 of the lugs are thereupon indented to provide the web Prior to and during the indenting operation, the slider wing blank 34 on which the lug as is positioned, may be'firmly gripped on its upper and lower surfaces; and die additionaily may b employed to limit the in.overnentv of the said centralportioniit during indentation a d w m gr I r 5 Since feeding mecha- V Subsequent to formation of the web, we shear off sets or pairs 98 of now completed slider wings. Each of said pairs includes one finished slider wingl? having a bail projecting therefrom and one finished slider wing i without a bail. At this time the said pairs 86 have'the appearance shown in Fig. 5. It should be noted that the two connected finished slider wing of anypairi! of such wings are not used together to make a slider I ll, but that each wing in said pair will be used with a Wing from another pairto form a slider.

The lug forming, indenting and shearing operations may be carried out by an apparatus 92 comprising a stationary bed, a reciprocating head, and an intermittent feeding means for the strip 32 (all not shown). Said head carries a punch 94 for shearing out the lug 8d. The head also carries means for moving a pair of indenting dies at toward a lug 8d which has been previously sheared out by the punch 9 1. A die block 98 cooperating with the indenting dies 96 limits downward movement of the central portion 86 of the lug and causes the bail I l formed by said dies to assume the desired configuration. The reciprocating head also carries a shearing punch Illll which cooperates with a stationary anvil (not shown) on the bed to successively cut off pairs 90 of the finished slider wings from the end of the strip 32.

It may be pointed out here that the blanking, rail and diamond forming, rail trimming, and bail forming operations may be performed as a continuous process on a strip from which the pairs 96 are finally sheared or they may be separately performed upon a strip which is reeled up after each operation.

The pairs 90 of connected finished slider wings are arranged in groups of two, as illustrated in Fig. 5, with the rails facing each other and the diamond shaped projections G8 in registration. Said diamond shaped projections then are abutted and welded together (Fig. 6). It is particularly pointed out that by disposing the attaching portions 35 of the wing blanks 34 in proximity, we are able in a single welding operation involving only one pair of electrodes to simultaneously weld together four slider wings and form a slider blank 166 comprising two integrally connected fully fashioned sliders.

The welding apparatus is schematically indicated in Fig. 6 and may be of any form suitable for the purpose.

As illustrated, said apparatus comprises a pair of spot welding electrodes 82, IM and holding means (not shown) to position two pairs 98 of finished slider wings in the manner shown in said figure; that is, with the rails I8 facing each other and with an upper wing I 5 not having a bail facing a lower wing I2 with a bail.

The welding operation results in the formation of what is herein referred to as a blank 566 for use in manufacturing sliders for slide fasteners, more briefly called a slider blank, and is to be distinguished from the slider wing blanks 3 hereinbefore referred to or from the pairs fill of completely finished wings. Said slider blank, as clearly shown, comprises two pairs of spaced parallel completely fashioned slider wings, each integrally connected by a neck, the necks themselves bein integrally connected, whereby to form two sliders iii joined by a piece Hi8 of material comprising a pair of links 42.

During the welding operation the slider wings forming part of the slider blank IE6 may be slightly angularly moved out of parallelism. To

correct this, and to sever the connected pair of sliders H) in such a slider blank I86 from each other, said slider blank is cut in half (Fig. 7) and, optionally, at the same time sized, whereby to dispose the slider wings l2 and I t in parallel, properly spaced relationship,and to align the rails I8.

The severing and sizing operations may be carried out in an apparatus H5. Said apparatus comprises a reciprocating head (not shown) which carries a punch H2 and a stationary bed platemot shown) on which a die block II4 is mounted. Said block has a rectangular recess I i6 which slidably receives a pair of pilot posts H8 integral with the punch M2 to accurately position the slider blank It prior to separating the pair of sliders IS in said blank.

Disposed on each side of the recess H6 are a pair of cut-outs I20 in which the slider blank we is positioned. The walls of the cut-outs which lead toward the recess IlB are angularly inclined to conform to the angle of the slider wings defining the diverging channels 20. cut-outs are made deep enough to substantially fully receive the slider blanks IE5. Elongated narrow grooves 122 are formed in each of the cut-outs I20 to receive the bails I4. A finger I24 projects into the recess H6 from each one of the cut-outs no to provide an anvil cooperating with the operative portion IZG'of the punch IIZ. Said portion !26 is concavely shaped, as illustrated, to conform to the desired outline of the free end of the platform 24.

While the punch H2 is descending, sizing plates I28 are moved inwardly into the entrance channel of each of the sliders Ill. Said plates may be actuated from the reciprocating head of the apparatus IIB by any suitable means. 'The ends of the plates I28 are bifurcated to form diverging fingers I30 shaped to the desired inner contour of a portion of the diverging channels 28.

When the head which carries the punch I I 2 has fully descended, it will clamp the pair of sliders I8 which have been severed from each other between the said head and the die block H4, with the fingers I28 disposed inside of the slider and thus accurately size the sliders to their desired ultimate shape with the Wings parallel and the proper distance apart, and the wings and rails in alignment. While this sizing operation is of aid in bringing the slider to its final correct size and shape, the slider has nevertheless already been completely fashioned. and said sizing operation is not embraced within the term forming as used herein.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a slider blank and method for making and using the same, pursuant to which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A slider blank comprising two pairs of spaced parallel completely fashioned slider wings, each wing having a plane body portion with rails running along its lateral edges and extending away from the plane of said body portion, and each wing having an attaching portion raised above The' said body portion and extending in the same direction as said rails, each attaching portion lying immediately adjacent and being integrally oonneoted to the other attaching'portion of the same pair, the attaching portions oi? one of said pairs being integrally connected to the attaching portions of the other of said pairs, the Wings and attaching portions being in alignment and the rails being opposed.

2. A slider blank comprising two pairs of spaced parallel completely fashioned slider wings, each wing having a plane body portion with rails runningalong its lateral edges and extending away immediately adjacent and being integrally connected to the other attaching portion of the same pair by 'a-link; the attaching portions of one of said pairs being integrally connected to the attaching portions of the other of said pairs, the

wings and attaching portions being in alignment and the rails being opposed.

MAURICE VOITY. GEORGE A. GRIFFITHS. 

